Not Too Late
by Katerina Alberthane
Summary: During a battle with Aizen's factions, Nanaochan loses her taichao and is desperate to find him. 8th Division Love ensues. Rated mostly for blood and guts.


_Author's Note: This fanfiction is set in the future, during the war between Soul Society and Aizen's factions. I just made up a battle, nothing specific and no spoilers about Aizen's followers or anything. Just a lil 8th Division love drabble. Ilurve Nanao-chan and Shunsui!_

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Ise Nanao stared across the battlefield anxiously. Bodies littered the blood-soaked earth. Nanao was pale; she over at her hand that was grasped over her shoulder and saw blood running down her hand and arm. She felt weak and very tired. She would give anything to be able to lie down and rest, but her taichao was missing. She had lost track of him after he led an enemy that was much stronger than she away. She felt queasier as she looked over the dead and hoped none of them was Kyouraku-taichao. She stepped forward and almost fell as intense pain flooded her body. She swallowed hard and willed herself to keep moving. The 4th Division was beginning to enter the field in large numbers, working to save those who could be saved. 

Nanao focused hard to find her taichao's spirit energy. Her vision was beginning to blur and she felt sick again. She suddenly felt an increase of familiar spirit energy from a distance away. It was gone as quickly as it appeared and as hard as she strained, she couldn't sense it at all again. She knew that spirit energy, though; it belonged to Kyouraku-taichao. "He's alive!" Her heart screamed. She moved forward with more determination now, aiming for the place she felt his spirit energy come from. She stepped over the dead and dying; refusing to look at them for fear that she might see the empty face of a friend staring back. She traveled as fast as she could in her condition, refusing to stop from fatigue or sickness.

Finally she saw Ukitake-taichao kneeling over a pink mass on the ground. "Ukitake-taichao!" Nanao called desperately, forcing her body to run to the pair. Ukitake-taichao looked up, surprised; his face was paler than normal and bruised, but he looked okay.

"Nanao!" He called back and she thought she saw movement from the pink object lying on the ground. She found herself suddenly standing over her own taichao. He was wrapped in his pink kimono. He looked small, his face pale under his tan, his hair wasn't pulled back and matted with blood and sweat...the front of his hakama was completely soaked in red.

"Tai – chao…" she said, falling to her knees beside him, eyes blurred with tears. He opened his eyes a little and his expression of pain softened.

"Nanao-chan..." He said weakly. She vainly tried to compose herself, but she could not stop her tears. Shunsui looked at her softly and his eyes widened in horror when he saw her wound. "Nanao-chan, you are injured!" He said, trying to sit up. Ukitake pushed him back down gently.

"Please Shunsui…don't." he said softly. The white-haired captain turned his attention to Nanao. "You _are_ injured, I'll call 4th division…" Nanao looked at him incredulously.

"You mean…you mean you **haven't **already called them for Kyouraku-taichao!" She demanded. With her outburst, her wound opened again, emitting fresh blood. She paled and felt her senses growing dark. She fought it and won; she didn't pass out. She saw her taichao's brow furrowed in concern and she felt guilty.

"My sweet Nanao-chan…I wouldn't let him call someone for me. I can feel it; my end is very near. I would be dead by the time he returned with a person with the skills to heal a wound this serious." He said calmly. Nanao stopped holding back her tears and allowed them to roll down her smooth cheeks.

"No…" she said softly, "No…Kyouraku-taichao…"

"Already you are but a shadow in these dimming eyes, my lovely Nanao-chan. I'm selfish. I didn't want Jyuushiro to leave because I did not want to die alone…" He coughed then, blooded spotted his lips. He held out his hand and Nanao took it. Both of their hands were bloody; but they still held on, mixing their life fluid together. "And Nanao-chan, I'm selfish because I've hung on this long…to see you…my sweet, sweet Nanao-chan." He smiled weakly, "I knew you'd find me." He coughed again.

"I'm sorry…Shunsui." She said bringing her free and cleaner hand to stroke his forehead. .

"Don't be." He said simply. He looked at his best friend. "Jyuushiro, you'll take care of my Nanao-chan, won't you?" Ukitake-taichao nodded, tears sliding down his hollowed cheeks. Nanao's taichao was silent for a moment.

"I can't see your lovely face anymore, Nanao-chan…but please…at least give me a kiss and make me the happiest man in all of Soul Society…" he said so softly that she had to lean in close to hear him. Nanao's insides churned and she felt so ashamed at having denied her love for him for so long. She knelt down and pressed her lips against his; her tears falling on his face, washing some of the dirt and blood away. When she separated from him, she whispered,

"I love you, Shunsui." A small smile relaxed his tense features. He said nothing; he was gone. Nanao gasped and collapsed on his body, sobbing into his still warm chest. "No…NO! Taichao…TAICHAO! **Shunsui**!"

Nanao woke to find herself wrapped in strong arms and a hand stroking her sweat-soaked hair gently. She looked up to see a familiar face staring down at her with concern. "Taichao…" she muttered, her eyes focusing on him. "Taichao!" She yelled, flinging her arms around him.

"Shhh…It's okay, my sweet Nanao-chan. It was only a dream." He said comfortingly. She pulled back and looked at her surroundings. She was in her room, it was nighttime. The door was slightly ajar, letting light in from the hallway. Kyouraku-taichao must have heard her screams from her dream and come to investigate. It was all a dream; the man in front of her was alive. Shunsui was alive. She stayed quiet for a moment, rested her head on his broad chest, and listened to his heartbeat.

"Shunsui…" She said softly, pulling back from his embrace to stare him in the face. He looked shocked and said simply,

"Nanao-chan."

"I…I don't want to wait until it's too late…" She began and paused, her eyes staring deep into his and seeing what had always been there: love. She brought her face to his.

"Shunsui, I love you." She said and kissed him lovingly. He was shocked but soon recovered and responded to her kiss. He put his hand on her cheek as they broke apart.

"And I love you my sweet, lovely Nanao-chan. I will always protect you, remember that." He said, resting his forehead on hers. Nanao remembered her dream and shivered slightly. Shunsui held her closer.

"And I will always take care of you, Shunsui….kun." She said with a smile.

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_Please review, good or bad!_


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